The Mighty Ninth

Strive To Reach The Summit


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Joe_Cook.JPGHere's where it all began(2nd from right 1st row) While attending the NCO Academy at Ft Sill, I remember taking my turn to march the class. I marched them into the flower bed of the Officer's Training Barracks. I commanded 'Platoon,halt' and then 'about, face' and 'forward, march'. As I looked back I saw about 40 spots of (turning marks) marks in the flower bed gravel. So I then commanded 'double time,march'. A day or two later I was sent to California and then to Hawaii (on a PAN AM flight) and hooked up with the 2/9th.
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Cook.JPGFt Sill Reunion - 2/9th Brother Redlegs attendingJoe Cook attends our historic reunion, May-June, 2013
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JCook-138.JPGWet LZGuess no one looked at the elevation of the LZ or how rainwater was supposed to drain off.
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JCook-137.JPGWhere is the drain plug?Lousy RSOP. We moved into this LZ the night before and it rained. Here's what we were greeted with the next morning. The gun spade of the base piece got stuck in the mud and we couldn't fire. We moved out of here.
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JCook-136.JPGA cloud of dustLooking through the dust cloud, you can find the source....yep....it's a Chinook.
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JCook-134.JPGMortar PitDon't know what size mortars these are!
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JCook-135.JPGNeed a parking spot!Chinook pilot has to find a spot between all the stumps.
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JCook-131.JPGTea Plantation, October, 1966It almost looks organized.
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JCook-132.JPGNo homeowners insuranceNote the "hooch" that appears just below the belly of the Chinook. After the Chinook lifts off, there is no more "hooch".
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JCook-133.JPGWaitingSitting here waiting on a Chinook...but ready for a fire mission. Head phones are nearby.
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JCook-130.JPG"Artillery furniture"Ammo crate slates were the building blocks of artillery furniture. (Note. Later units brought furniture building out of crates to an art form.)
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JCook-129.JPGMucky-StuckyThe Huey lost its hydraulics and the skids collapsed.
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